Table Tennis: Aruna Quadri defeats fierce rival to win Africa Senior Championship title

On Friday, Aruna Quadri overcame archrival Egypt’s Omar Assar 4-3 to win the men’s singles title at the 2022 ITTF Africa Senior Championship.

The 34-year-old Nigeria Table Tennis legend trailed Omar in the first two sets of the highly anticipated match, but came back stronger to win the Africa Championship title in Algeria.

The two had previously met in the ITTF Africa Cup in May of this year, but Omar defeated an injured Quadri 4-3 to win the ITTF Africa Cup for the third time in a row.

Quadri thrashed fellow Nigerian and reigning Africa U-19 champion Mati Taiwo 4-0 in the first semi-final game, while Omar thrashed Algeria’s Bouloussa 4-0 as well.

Haruna Quadri had earlier made his intention of wwinning the championship known in the round of 16:

I haven’t won the African Championship since my last one in 2018, but I have played in all finals since then. It will be good to win a title this year, and I’m looking forward to giving my best. My biggest motivation is that I’m representing Nigeria again, and I want to give my heart and soul as usual for my country.”

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Dina Meshref defeated fellow countrywoman Yousra Helmy to win the 2022 ITTF Africa Senior Championship women’s singles title for the third time in her career.

The tournament began on September 3 and concluded on September 9.